Other health problems of children with acute otitis media.

To help clarify whether acute otitis media is associated with a different frequency of other health problems compared to other acute illnesses, 77 acute otitis patients (average age two years, three months) seen in a university-affiliated pediatric primary care facility were studied. Each was paired with a patient of the same age and sex who presented at the same time with another acute health problem. No differences were detected between the two sets of patients in the frequency of neonatal or prior health problems, except that the patients with acute otitis media had had more previous episodes of this condition than the other patients. At the time of presentation both sets had similar growth and socioeconomic status, and during the year after presentation no differences were noted in the type or number of health problems.